


I Do Declare

by Dorianssecretlibrary



Series: Fluffy McHanzo Things [12]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Assassination Attempt(s), Attempted Kidnapping, Chubby McCree, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, Happy Ending, Holding Hands, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Modern Royalty, Noodle Dragons, Not Beta Read, Nudity, Princes & Princesses, Punk Hanzo Shimada, Self-Doubt, Strangers to Lovers, Wedding Planning, Young Hanzo Shimada, Young Jesse McCree, Young Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-12-03 05:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11525475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorianssecretlibrary/pseuds/Dorianssecretlibrary
Summary: 1st place prize for elenyarrequest : arranged marriage auHanzo Shimada, heir to the Shimada Empire, and Jesse Reyes-Morrison, heir to the OW Empire were meant to wed in three months time, though they hadn't even had the chance to meet before the arrangement was made. Now the two must live together, as they await their wedding day and their 'happily ever after.' As they try to get to know each other, they must deal with unknown forces trying to ruin their arrangement.





	1. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Japanese]  
> {Spanish}  
> Hanzo shopping spree:  
> Punk: [1](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/240027855118544117/) [2](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/AbFdr2oqF7wlXz8maMpM8cLZiKMNH4txVJK5-EKd15Q6JxVLJTUbvwk/) [3](http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/310407554801-0-1/s-l1000.jpg) [4](http://images.shopmadeinchina.com/seller/product/BDD7EB47938ED920E040007F010009C2/447/10786447_1.bak.jpg) [5](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/75/9d/60759d2365e588871a8ffc9cf2b1d3e0--mens-scarf-fashion-mens-fashion-clothing.jpg) [6](http://i0.wp.com/unotarou.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/WS000600.jpg?resize=259%2C300) [7](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/95490454574544271/) [8](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118852877638813595/) [9](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/381609768410872683/) Lingerie: [1](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1XJK3QVXXXXaJXXXXq6xXFXXXG/Full-Set-Sexy-Lingerie-Plus-Size-3XL-5XL-Silk-Bathrobe-and-Belt-Pajama-Women-font-b.jpg) [2](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB10YybQFXXXXcMXXXXq6xXFXXX4.jpg_220x220.jpg)
> 
> Southern Accent Explanation:
> 
> if there's a ' before a word, like 'bout, that means a letter isn't being pronounced in the word and the ' is taking the place of that letter.  
> For example:  
> 'bout = about  
> the difference is 'bout doesn't use the "a" sound, the would starts with the "b" instead. It's an accent thing.  
> also it can sometimes take up two letters rather than just one  
> For example:  
> 'em = them  
> 'sides = besides  
> more accent things  
> ya = you  
> ta = to  
> fer = for

In exactly three months, the OW Empire would unite with the Shimada Empire. However, the alignment of the two powerhouses fell entirely on the shoulders of two princes. The marriage would bond the two Empires, signifying their agreement to ally with each other. The heir to the Shimada throne, Shimada Hanzo, was a prince through his bloodline, but the heir to the OW empire, was the adopted prince, Jesse Reyes-Morrison.

Hanzo always knew that it was his duty to marry some powerful figure’s child in order to gain more power and protection for his clan. Still, he was wary of what it would entail. This Jesse Reyes-Morrison had a number of rumors floating around him, and very few were good. Hanzo wasn’t sure this man would even take his role seriously. He wasn’t born a prince, he probably didn’t think he needed to marry. Hanzo wondered what would happen if this Reyes-Morrison saw him and decided to cancel their engagement. What would that mean for his clan, his people? He needed this to work. The Shimada were a formidable opponent, but the OW Empire was too big to even consider fighting. The Shimada might have skilled warriors serving in their army, but skill wasn’t always enough to counter the number of enemy soldiers they would face.

Hanzo would not allow that to happen. Just because some spoiled brat became the prince he was meant to wed, did not mean he could doom Hanzo’s people simply because he did not want the wedding. Hanzo would not only seduce this fool, but by their wedding day, he was determined to make this _Reyes_ - _Morrison_ fall in love with him. It was his duty to his people, and he would do what he must for his clan.

However, if this was going to work, he would need some assistance. Hanzo had always assumed that the person he would marry would be someone who came from the same world as he did, someone who understood the importance of the arrangement going smoothly. Now, he couldn’t rely on that, so he needed to enlist some help. Unfortunately, he knew the perfect person for the job.

Genji was still asleep in his room despite it being half past noon. Hanzo assumed it was because his brother stayed up late last night, probably at the arcade he liked to sneak off to. Hanzo observed that Genji had slept in his make-up on, that was bad for his skin; he would have to make Genji bathe after convincing him to agree to help him. Hanzo walked over to Genji’s bed and nudged him until he started to wake up.

Genji glared up at him with sleepy eyes. _“[What the fuck, Hanzo_?]” He questioned, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“[ _I needed to speak with you, urgently._ ]” Hanzo stated. He tried not to look as anxious as he felt, but Genji had always been able to see through his mask.

His brother sat up in bed and met Hanzo’s gaze. “[ _Is something wrong?_ ]” He asked.

“[ _Not as of yet._ ]” Hanzo replied. “[ _I was hoping you could help me prevent something from going wrong._ ]”

“[ _Me_?]” Genji said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. This seemed like a discussion he wanted to be awake for. He felt a little more awake, and looked like a raccoon with his smudged eyeliner and eyeshadow. “[ _Wait, is this about the marriage thing?_ ]” Genji guessed, unsure of what else his brother would possible come to him seeking advice for, especially if it was to _prevent_ trouble form occurring.

“[ _Yes, I do not know if my suitor will take this arrangement seriously. If he pulled out, it would be bad for the clan, so I need to ensure that that doesn’t happen.]”_ Hanzo stated, choosing his words carefully. “[ _Which is why I’ve come to you.]”_

“[ _Brother, I want to help you, but I don’t know anything about arranged marriages or their rules_.]” Genji replied.

“[ _That is true, but you do have experience with people.]”_ Hanzo remarked. “[ _I know you have had many partners in the past, so I was hoping that you could-_ ]”

“[ _OH MY GOD_ ,]” Genji exclaimed, his face shining with giddy excitement. “[ _You want me to help you seduce the hell out of this guy?!_ ]”

“[ _That isn’t the way I would have phrased it, but yes.]”_ Hanzo admitted. “[ _Our marriage is very important for our empire, but I have no experience in this area. If he were to refuse to marry me-_ ]”

“[ _He’d be a fucking idiot to not marry you. Really, you’re smart, attractive, confident, a bit of an ass at times, but who isn’t?_ ]” Genji interrupted. “[He **_will_** _marry you._ ]” He added, and the confidence behind his words helped ease Hanzo’s worries. _“[Don’t even stress about it, I am going to help you put a ring on him._ ]”

“[ _Thank you_.]” Hanzo said, a small smile on his lips.

“[ _No problem, brother._ ]” Genji replied. “[ _We only have two days before they arrive though, right_?]” He asked, and Hanzo nodded. “[ _Ok, then we should get started now.]”_

 _“[Brother, I love you, and I appreciate your help, but you need to bathe before we begin anything.]”_ Hanzo stated.

Genji rolled his eyes. “[ _I’m not that bad._ ]” He insisted, smelling his armpit and resisting the urge to gag. “[ _Ok, maybe I smell a little bad._ ]”

“[ _You smell like a sewage pipe exploded in a liquor store._ ]” Hanzo commented. “[ _Where do you want to meet when you are done bathing_?]”

“[ _Meet me by the gate, we’re going shopping._ ]” Genji stated.

\---

“[ _Absolutely not._ ]” Hanzo said, glaring at his brother. He wasn’t sure how Genji had convinced him to try on these ridiculous outfits, but now that he was wearing them, he was beginning to regret the decisions he’d made that lead him up to this point.

“[ _It looks so good on you though!_ ]” Genji exclaimed. “[ _We have to get it._ ]”

“[ _I am not purchasing a shirt that says, ‘Baby Slut.’_ ]” Hanzo stated. “[ _The leggings are too much, and no, I will not try on those boots._ ]”

“[ _The boots make the outfit._ ]” Genji argued.

“[ _The heel is twelve centimeters, Genji. I can’t wear them._ ]” Hanzo retorted.

“[ _Fine, I’ll go pick something less… intense, for you._ ]” Genji relented. “[ _But you have to try them all on!_ ]”

Hanzo let out a small sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his brother’s choices. It was just that, unlike Genji, Hanzo had a certain reputation to uphold. He was to be Emperor someday, which meant he could not walk around his capital in such inappropriate garments. Hanzo couldn’t tell Genji that he actually liked the outfit, because then he’d be forced to get it. There was no way their father would allow him to leave the castle grounds in it. Then again, if it was for the sole purpose of guaranteeing the marriage agreement, he might make an exception. Hanzo was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone knocking on his dressing room door. 

“[ _Yo, Brother, I found some really good ones that I think you’ll approve of!]”_ Genji remarked.

Hanzo opened the door, and was met with a mountain of fabric. He looked from the pile to his brother. “[ _You want me to try on all of these?]”_ He questioned.

Genji grinned at him. “[ _Yes, no arguments, I’ll hand them to you as outfits, since I know where everything is in here_.]” He said, gesturing to the pile. Just like that, he pulled out a top from the side of the pile, a pair of torn jeans from the middle, and then some boots that only had a small, maybe two centimeters, heel.

As he was trying them on, Hanzo noticed the clothing had a sort of punk theme. He wondered if Genji knew that Hanzo had always been a little jealous of the clothing he got to wear, while Hanzo was forced to wear traditional clothing, fit for the heir of the Shimadas. These fit him nicely, and they weren’t _too_ revealing, so he could get permission to wear them outside of the castle grounds. Hanzo smiled softly as he looked at himself in the dressing room mirror. Genji was definitely the right person for this job.

“[ _Hanzo, I want to see how you look_!]” Genji whined from the other side of the door.

Hanzo grinned to himself. Even when he was being helpful, Genji still had to act like a little brother.

\---

Jesse hated flying. It might be a convenient and fast way to travel, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. And it sure as hell wasn’t helping his anxiety. Marriage was a lot to ask of a seventeen-year-old kid. Jesse had known that it might happen, arranged marriages were common among royal families, but shit, he figured he’d at least get to meet the person first.

Jesse was a Reyes-Morrison, heir to the whole damn OW Empire. He remembered the day Gabe found him, covered head to toe in dirt and soot, as the small town he used to call home had been rendered to ashes. That was back in the crisis. He was four, orphaned, and would have probably died if Gabe hadn’t checked each and every house for survivors. Gabe could’ve easily put him in the system, let him go into foster care, but something stopped him. Jesse still wasn’t sure how he convinced Jack to adopt him, but he managed it.

If he did get married, he wondered how often he’d get to see his little sister. Sombra had been adopted a few years after the crisis ended. Gabe and Jack were visiting different watchpoints in their Empire, doing standard check-ups, when Gabe found her. She had hacked into Watchpoint servers and discovered the names of crew members who were selling secrets to Talon Terrorists. They were dealt with, and as Gabe got to know the kid, he grew to like her. And since she was orphaned by the crisis, she found herself added to the family.

The only reason Jesse was really considering the marriage thing, was because it was either going to be required of him, or Sombra, and he didn’t want her to have to marry a stranger. He’d bite the bullet. Sombra had researched the Shimadas, and there weren’t a lot of pictures available of Hanzo, but there were a handful of articles about him. From what he could tell, this Hanzo was your run of the mill apple-polisher, the perfect prince, a regal poster boy of the Shimada Empire, who appeared to be a stick in the mud. His brother had a lot more fun stories. But that’s all they were, stories. Jesse wasn’t one to make assumptions of others, so he figured that he’d wait to meet them before casting any final judgements. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone sitting down next to him.

{ **I just got done speaking with the pilot, we’ll be landing in a few hours**.} Gabe remarked.

{ **How many’s a few?** } Jesse asked.

{ **Two or three.** } Gabe replied. { **Depends on how smooth the ride is.** }

{ **That’s just peachy**.} Jesse commented.

{ **Hey, look, I know Jack really wants you to do this, but I want you to know you don’t _have_ to do this.}** Gabe stated. { **You know that, right?** }

 **{I know.** } Jesse said, running his fingers through his hair. **{I know, but I wanna try ‘nd make it work**.}

{ **It’s fine if it doesn’t though**.} Gabe assured him.

{ **Pops wants this ta work, don’t he?** } Jesse questioned. {' **Cause ya don’t seem ta care too much about these Shimada fellers.** }

{ **Jack really wants this to work because it would be good for both our Empire and the Shimada Empire; however, I never really gave a damn about politics, and I care a lot more about whether or not you’re happy.** } Gabe explained. { **If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try to reach some other agreement, or worst case, we go to war. A war that we’d win, and the Shimadas know it, so I doubt it’d come to that**.}

{ ** _No pressure then_**.} Jesse remarked, closing his eyes and leaning back into his seat.

Gabe chuckled and leaned over to ruffle Jesse’s hair. { **Hey, there _isn’t_ any pressure, ok? I just wanted to make sure you had all the facts before you agree to anything.** } He retorted.

 **{I know, thanks Papí**.} Jesse said. He really hoped that this wouldn’t come down to war, maybe this Hanzo guy would turn out to be a good match for him. It was unlikely, but possible.

\---

They breezed through customs, and their guards grabbed their luggage. A limo was waiting for them when they reached the doors, curtesy of the Shimadas. Everything looked so different around here. Jesse wondered why the Shimadas chose to have their capital in a small town, rather than a large city like Tokyo. Hanamura was gorgeous though; the cherry blossoms were something else.

When they arrived at the palace, the first thing Jesse noticed where the dragons, the symbol of the Shimadas. Rumor was that they actually had dragons somewhere, exotic pets kept out of the public eye. Sombra couldn’t find anything about that, no links to large purchases of meat to feed a dragon or records of servants gone missing, so he figured they were just rumors.

Their guards took their luggage to their respective rooms. Jesse knew that he was supposed to be sharing a room with Hanzo; it was supposed to get them used to the idea of sleeping together. This was going to be weird. Jesse always thought he’d at least be legal to drink before he got married. A servant informed them that the young masters were currently sparring, and lead them into the dojo. Nothing prepared him for what he witnessed. The pictures Sombra had managed to find did not do Hanzo justice.

The first thing he noticed was that Hanzo was shirtless, skin coated in a light sheen of sweat from the exertion. And the way he moved with that wooden sword was captivating. Hanzo was only a year older than him, but he looked like a young adonis. The sparring match only lasted another minute or so, but Hanzo held Jesse’s full attention for its duration. Jesse really hoped Hanzo wasn’t all looks and a bad attitude because damn, he was starting to want this to work out. Hanzo won the match, knocking the sword from his brother’s hands before knocking him to the ground.

Jesse barely registered the hand on his shoulder. He tore his gaze away from Hanzo just long enough to acknowledge his father.

“{ **I’m going to go meet with Sojiro, play nice.** }” Gabe said, before giving Jesse’s shoulder a squeeze, then taking his leave.

Jesse was beginning to have the dawning realization that he was now alone with the two Shimada brothers. He was pretty sure they spoke English; he hoped they spoke English. “Howdy,” Jesse greeted and internally cringed because while that was fine for friends and family, ‘howdy’ was not how you addressed another royal. “It’s a pleasure ta meet you.” He added, desperately trying to recover.

Genji grinned and muttered something to Hanzo in their native tongue. Jesse wasn’t sure what was said, but Genji gave him a wave and immediately left him alone with Hanzo.

“You are Jesse, correct?” Hanzo questioned, walking over to Jesse.

He had to mentally remind himself to look at Hanzo’s eyes, not his chest. “Yes.” Jesse replied. “And yer Hanzo, right?”

“I am.” Hanzo stated. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.” He added.

“Oh, no. I just got here a minute ‘r so ago.” Jesse assured.

“Good. I was going to stop by our room, would you care to walk with me?” Hanzo questioned.

“Sure.” Jesse replied, feeling his cheeks lightly flush as Hanzo took his hand and began leading him through the palace. He stole the occasional glance at Hanzo when he thought the other boy wasn’t looking. His cheekbones looked like they could cut glass. And boy was that tattoo intricate.

When they reached their shared room, it was definitely fit for a king, or in this case, two princes. The room was spacious, filled with ornate decorations, gold twin dragons, beautiful calligraphy, a few paper lanterns hung from the high ceiling, each with their own design. Jesse’s luggage was left at the end of the bed.

Jesse walked over to his bags to begin unpacking, while Hanzo put his wood sword away, right next to his actual sword. Jesse noticed Hanzo turn to leave. “Headin’ out already?” Jesse asked.

“I was going to go bathe, since I’ve just finished my training for today.” Hanzo informed. “We have a hot spring here; would you care to join me?”

Jesse’s cheeks turned a bright red, and he was pretty sure it was spreading down his neck. “I, uh, think I’ll stay here ‘nd unpack.” He replied. “Sorry, I just don’t think I’m ready fer that yet.”

“There is no need to apologize.” Hanzo remarked. “I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“Well, thank ya kindly.” Jesse said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t let me keep ya from yer bath. I’ll think I’m good right here.”

Hanzo simply nodded and left the room.

Jesse took this time to snoop a little while putting his things away. What he discovered was Hanzo had a lot of Geometry, Archery, and Astrology books, he also had a mix of punk and traditional Japanese clothes, and the last little surprise he found was a box of condoms and lube in their nightstand. It had a little note written in Japanese, but on the corner, there was also a crude drawing of what looked like Genji’s head so it was probably from him to Hanzo.

What Jesse didn’t know was that the note said, “[ _Consummate that marriage, bro._ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]”

\---

Hanzo eased himself into the waters of the hot spring. Genji’s plan seemed to have partially worked. The Reyes-Morrison’s arrived right on schedule, and Jesse certainly seemed enamored with their match. Hanzo was also fairly certain he caught Jesse trying to discretely check him out, and yet he couldn’t get Jesse to bathe with him. Hanzo had heard rumors of the Western prince’s sexual escapades, but judging by his reactions, Jesse was a virgin too.

Hanzo would need to change his strategy. He couldn’t be as direct with his advances or he risked scaring Jesse away. If the rumors about Jesse weren’t true, then he had nothing to go on. He would need to tread carefully. If their marriage was going to work, he needed to know what Jesse’s boundaries were. People always suggest talking, perhaps it was that simple.

When he finished bathing, he dressed in a pair of black boxer-briefs, and a blue lingerie robe Genji had insisted he purchase. It was the most conservative of the lingerie they looked at. Once he was ready, he went back to their room, lightly knocking on the door to let Jesse know he was entering. Genji promised him that he would send a servant to bring them dinner, so they didn’t have to leave the room.

Jesse was reclined on their bed, reading something on his tablet when Hanzo walked in, closing the door behind him.

“Greetings.” Hanzo said, walking over to sit on the edge of their bed across from Jesse. “I hope you’ve made yourself at home.” He added, noting that all of Jesse’s bags were unpacked.

“Yeah, I’m all settled in.” Jesse remarked. He glanced over at Hanzo, and his cheeks turned crimson as he looked Hanzo up and down before finally tearing his eyes away.

Hanzo’s phone vibrated on his nightstand, he picked it up to see what it was about. It was from Genji. There were two messages, the first one being, “[ _Food’s on it’s way, and use protection._ ]” And the second one was simply. “( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)”

“Are you hungry?” Hanzo questioned. “Dinner will arrive shortly.”

“Is it already that late?” Jesse questioned.

“You might be experiencing jetlag.” Hanzo stated. He kept his face neutral and pretended not to hear Jesse’s stomach growl. The Western prince blushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Guess it has been a while since I last ate.” Jesse mumbled. “What’s fer dinner?” He asked, and before Hanzo could answer, a servant knocked on the door. Hanzo granted her access, and the maid brought in a cart. She set up two large trays and for them on the end of the bed, one had a plate of sushi and a bowl of miso soup, the other had chicken fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, and southern biscuits. There was also a bottle of sake, and a glass bottle of coke-cola. Once their meals were set, the maid bowed and left.

“My chef contacted yours so she would know how to prepare meals to your liking.” Hanzo commented.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Jesse remarked, “Hope it tastes as good as it looks.” He added, sitting up and moving to dig into his food.

Hanzo moved to sit beside him. The Western cuisine seemed a bit too greasy for his own tastes, but Jesse seemed to enjoy it.

“Don’t ya normally use those little sticks?” Jesse questioned.

Hanzo glanced over at his fiancé. “Chop sticks are used mainly for noodles; sushi is eaten by hand, and you would drink miso from the bowl, so in this instance, no, I do not require chop sticks.” He answered.

“Oh.” Jesse mumbled, going back to his own meal.

\---

“So, Hanzo,” Jesse began, setting his napkin over his empty tray. “I was thinking, since we don’t really know each other very well, maybe we could play two truths one lie?”

“I have never played.” Hanzo replied. He seemed skeptic, but at least he was open to the idea of playing.

“I can start.” Jesse offered. “So I’m goin’ ta say two true facts about myself, ‘nd one lie, ‘nd you have ta guess which one’s the lie.” He explained.

“Alright.” Hanzo said, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. “When you are ready.”

“Okay then.” Jesse said, making himself comfortable on the bed. “When I was eleven, I fell asleep behind some boxes while playing hide ‘n seek with my sister, and had the whole guard looking for me and made by dads think I got kidnaped. Once, I made a homemade flash grenade and accidently set it off during a gala. And finally, I helped my sister hack into a private company’s main frame just so she could pre-order a game that had sold-out.”

“And from those options, I need to pick which one is a lie?” Hanzo questioned.

“You got it.” Jesse replied.

“I understand,” Hanzo said, considering his options. “You were lying about falling asleep when you were eleven and alerting your guards to a false kid-napping.”

“Nope, and if ya think about it, it was the most true ‘kid napping’ that there could be.” Jesse joked. “I lied about the flash grenade.” He added, grinning. “It went off during my friend Lena’s birthday party, not a gala.”

Hanzo gave Jesse a disbelieving look.

“Swear it’s true.” Jesse stated. “Yer turn.”

Hanzo took a moment to think about his answer. “Once when I was a child, I found a stray cat and brought it home; I also kept it a secret from my parents. Genji and I once bought a bag of water balloons and filled them up, went to the rooftop and threw them at guests who were being rude to our mother. Although I am trained in the art of sword fighting, I prefer archery, and have won many competitions.”

“You didn’t bring a cat home.” Jesse stated, confident in his answer.

“No, the cat’s name is Kaede and she is currently staying with Genji. The lie was the water balloons.” Hanzo remarked, smiling softly even as Jesse looked a bit disappointed that it wasn’t true. “We threw them at the men who were sexually harassing our maids.” He added.

“You did _not.”_ Jesse retorted, grinning ear to ear.

“We did, and when the men realized who we were, they apologized to us, and we had them apologize to our maids.” Hanzo recalled.

“Nice.” Jesse commented. “My turn, when I was seven I figured out how ta order things online, and bought seven pounds of jelly beans. My sister ‘nd I broke into school ta steal the answer key fer finals. And, I once got my tongue stuck ta a flagpole in winter because my Sombra dared me ta lick it.”

“You didn’t lick a flagpole.” Hanzo guessed.

“I wish that were the truth.” Jesse remarked. “Sadly, no, that _did_ happen. My dad poured a thermos of hot cocoa over it ‘nd got me unstuck. The lie was about breakin’ into school. I was actually homeschooled.”

Hanzo hummed. “My brother didn’t return home for three days, and I found him in the arcade obsessing over some new game and had to drag him home. I have two dragons. I was asked to dance with the queen of England, but I was feeling ill so I declined.”

“Ok, when ya say _dragons_ do ya mean these decorations?” Jesse asked, gesturing to the twin dragons hanging on the wall.

“No, I mean spirit dragons.” Hanzo clarified.

“Well then, that’s the lie!” Jesse proclaimed.

“I’m afraid you are wrong,” Hanzo corrected. “I have never met the Queen of England.”

Jesse stared at Hanzo dumfounded for a minute. “Could ya explain?”

“It would be easier to show you first.” Hanzo stated, untying his robe’s sash and slipping his left arm out of the fabric. His tattoo shimmered as blue light began to engulf his arm, and two small noodles were summoned. They floated in the air by Hanzo. Soba turned her head to the side, observing Jesse. Udon was bolder; she began sniffing him. Jesse went stiff as Udon draped herself around the Western prince’s shoulders. Soba was a little more confident after watching her sister and began inspecting Jesse, slipping under his shirt.

“I am sure you have heard rumor of the Shimada dragons.” Hanzo remarked. “We do not hide them, but even after seeing them, most find it difficult to believe. Most members of our family only have one dragon; however, I was chosen by the twins.”

“So, _dragons_ ,” Jesse said, keeping as still as a statue. “That’s a thing.”

“Are you okay with them? If they make you uncomfortable, I can recall them.” Hanzo stated.

“No, they’re fine.” Jesse assured. “They kinda remind me of my sister’s Chameleon. Tickles when they walk on ya.”

“I’m glad.” Hanzo commented. “Most do not take to them as well as you have.”

“I’ve been told repeatedly that I’m not like most.” Jesse grinned. “Usually when I’m getting chewed out.”

Soba crawled out of Jesse’s shirt and joined her sister on Jesse’s shoulder.

“Can I take a picture of ‘em?” Jesse asked. “I wanna show Sombra.”

“I don’t see why not.” Hanzo replied. “Genji often posts picture of himself with his dragon, most just assume that he edits the photos before posting.”

“Thanks, she’s gonna get a kick out of this.” Jesse remarked, taking a selfie of himself with the dragons. The two blue spirits seemed to pose for it, appearing more regal than they were a moment before.

“There is a chance you will get a dragon of your own.” Hanzo commented.

“Pardon?” Jesse asked, turning his attention from his phone to Hanzo.

“If we marry, you will become a Shimada, and there will be a chance that a dragon will choose you to be its partner.” Hanzo explained. “It does not always occur with the spouses of Shimadas, but there is a chance.”

Jesse didn’t respond for a moment, thinking it over in his head before saying, “Cool.”

\---

Hanzo laid back against the bed, eyes closed but mind still wide awake. Jesse had chosen to sleep near the edge of the bed, which Hanzo was fine with. However, in his sleep, Jesse moved over to Hanzo’s side of the bed, and was currently playing the role of the big spoon. Hanzo didn’t want to move for fear of waking Jesse up. He could feel Jesse’s breath against the back of his neck. Warm hands holding him in place against Jesse’s body. The man was like a furnace, being wrapped in Jesse’s embrace felt like being under a kotatsu on a cold day.

Hanzo went rigid as he felt Jesse start to stir behind him. A hand came up to cup his chest and give it a light squeeze. Hanzo felt his cheeks blush slightly before regaining his composure. “Yer as stiff as an ironing board, Han.” Jesse mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. He pulled Hanzo flush against him. “Jus’ go ta sleep, Sugar.” He added, before placing a chaste kiss to the back of Hanzo’s neck and promptly falling back to sleep.

Hanzo relaxed, letting himself be coaxed by Jesse’s words. He soon found himself drifting off to sleep, a small smile on his lips. He wondered if Jesse would remember this in the morning. He probably wouldn’t, or at the very least, he would remember, but think it was something he dreamed up. Hanzo found it amusing that the easily flustered prince of the West could be charming, if only when he was half asleep.

Hanzo knew that they had a little less than three months before the marriage would commence. In that time, Hanzo needed to ensure that Jesse loved him. There were so many things that still needed to be done. Wedding arrangements needed to be made, and he still had his duties as prince that he would need to fulfill. Although, his father was giving him some lenience with his tasks, since his marriage was the top priority.

Perhaps tomorrow, he could show Jesse around Hanamura. The town’s beauty always impressed visitors, and the park was known to be a romantic stop for couples. There were great places to eat, and wonderful sites to see. Taking him out on a date might make their arrangement feel a little more normal.

Satisfied with his plan. Hanzo finally allowed sleep to take him. He slept peacefully, for the first time in recent months. He truly believed that this had a chance to work. He believed that he could be happy spending the rest of his life with Jesse. Now, Hanzo just needed to make sure that Jesse felt the same way about him. He was fairly certain that Jesse was attracted to him, and they seemed to get along alright; Jesse was even fine when Hanzo told him about the dragons. It was also very reassuring to know that Soba and Udon both approved of his groom to be. Maybe this could work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitions:  
> Run of the mill : standard  
> Apple-polisher : sycophant  
> Sycophant : a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.  
> Stick in the mud: a person who is dull and unadventurous and who resists change  
> Something else : an exceptional person or thing  
> Adonis : a handsome man, especially a young one. Its origin is the god Adonis, in Greek mythology the eternally youthful god of beauty and desire.  
> Chewed out : scolded  
> Get a kick out of this: find it amusing
> 
> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment, i love hearing what you guys think of this (　◠ ◡ ◠　)


	2. Playing Tourist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys like this (^・ω・^ )
> 
> Comments and Criticisms are always welcome!

Golden rays of sunshine beamed in through the window, filling the room with natural light, and making it impossible to ignore the fact that it was morning. Jesse began to stir, slowly coming to his senses. Everything felt unfamiliar, and there was a body pressed up against him, and he was holding onto something. Oh. Right. Memories of the day before began to flood in as he remembered where he was, why he was there, and who he was currently spooning with. His cheeks flushed as he slowly pulled away from Hanzo; he didn’t want to wake him up if he was still sleeping. Jesse sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. This was weird, but not necessarily a _bad_ weird. Back at home he’d usually go have breakfast and then head down to the range for some target practice, but he still didn’t know the layout of this place, and it’d feel weird walking around the palace by himself.

Jesse was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt the bed shift as Hanzo began to stir. His hair was still a silky, ash black; it wasn’t even that frizzy. Jesse wondered if Hanzo dyed it, or if it was naturally like that.

“You’re awake.” Hanzo stated, pulling himself up and out of bed.

Jesse was immediately distracted with the view of that strong back and toned legs. His mouth was dry, which made it harder to respond. “I am; looks like you are too.” He replied.

Hanzo turned to acknowledge him, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. “It would appear I am.” He commented. “I was thinking it might be nice to tour the city. I know you only just arrived, so I would imagine you haven’t seen much of it.”

Jesse made it a point to look at Hanzo’s eyes and not his chest, which was practically busting out of his little robe. “That’d be an accurate assumption.” Jesse remarked. “I wouldn’t mind ya givin’ me the lay of the land.”

“Good.” Hanzo said, turning to walk over to his dresser, _their_ dresser now. “We can go after breakfast if you’d like.” He added.

“Sounds like a plan.” Jesse commented, and if he had some other smart remark to add, it died in the back of his throat as he watched that little robe drop to the floor as Hanzo began to change and get ready for the day. Jesse immediately redirected his attention to _anything else in the room_. Those dragon statues looked pretty cool, that was where he was going to stare until he knew for a fact it was safe to look elsewhere.

“I am not a shy man.” Hanzo remarked. “You can look if you would like, though you certainly aren’t obligated to.” He added, making Jesse’s cheeks flush. If they did marry, they’d probably be in situations like this often, so he could understand Hanzo wanting to deal with this little issue now. Jesse may or may not have peaked a few times, but he still didn’t have the courage to do more than that. When Hanzo finished dressing, Jesse took in the image of the prince dressed in tight, stylishly ripped, royal blue skinny jeans, a graphic t with some cartoonish mascot on the front, and a black leather jacket to finish the look. Damn. Hanzo then tied his hair up in a high ponytail, keeping the hair out of his face, and really highlighting those cheekbones.

“Would you like to have breakfast in bed or in the dining hall?” Hanzo questioned.

“I don’t really have much of a preference.” Jesse replied.

“Delivered here then.” Hanzo decided. Jesse didn’t really feel like getting out of bed yet anyway, so he was happy with that. “I’m going to step out for a moment. I won’t be long.” Hanzo added.

“Take as much time as ya need.” Jesse stated.

Hanzo nodded, and made a swift exit. Jesse figured now was as good a time as any to get dressed. He knew it was silly, but he couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious about his own body, knowing he couldn’t hold a candle to Hanzo. When he was about ten years old, he was practically skin and bones. His personal chefs took care of that a little too well, and while he normally was confident with his softer form, he didn’t want Hanzo to see him shirtless just yet. He remembered reading something about being fat in Japan wasn’t seen as a good trait, and he wondered if Hanzo would care about that sort of thing. He threw on his favorite pair of blue jeans and a red plaid shirt. Jesse then laid back down in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Hanzo didn’t act like he was repulsed by Jesse’s appearance, but what if he was just really good at acting?

“Breakfast will be here shortly.” Hanzo remarked, making Jesse jump because he hadn’t even heard the other come in. “Apologizes, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You’re a quiet fella.” Jesse commented, sitting up in bed.

“At times.” Hanzo retorted. “Is that what you’ll be wearing today?”

“I, uh- was plannin’ ta…” Jesse replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He wondered if he should have brought some more fancy clothes to make himself look more royal.

“Do not misunderstand; I did not mean that to cause offense. I am merely unfamiliar in what constitutes fashion in your country.” Hanzo clarified. “I think your current clothes suit you nicely, though the fall breeze can be quite chilly. You might want to put a jacket on before we leave.” He suggested.

Jesse nodded. “I’ll do that.” He stated. A moment later there was a knock on the door and Hanzo gave whoever it was permission to enter. A servant that Jesse didn’t know the name of yet brought in two trays. One looked mighty familiar; the tray was set in front of Jesse. It was some fluffy Southern biscuits and sausage gravy. Hanzo’s tray didn’t really look like breakfast food in Jesse’s opinion, well, besides the omelet. Hanzo had rice, grilled fish, miso soup, pickles, and a Japanese-style omelet. The servant bowed and then left them with their meals.

Jesse sat up a little more and started to dig into his own dish. Southern comfort food always made him feel better. When he was halfway through his food, he noticed Hanzo glancing at him. “Uh, do I got somethin’ on my face?” Jesse asked, seeming to startle the other prince.

“No, I was simply curious as to whether you actually liked that or not.” Hanzo remarked, gesturing to Jesse’s half empty plate.

“Well, I do like it.” Jesse informed. “Do you _not_ like biscuits ‘nd gravy?” He asked.

“I have never tried them.” Hanzo replied. “And if I’m being quite honest, I don’t have a desire to. It looks like chunky gray sludge on bread.”

Jesse laughed at that, mainly because it was a pretty accurate description. “It’s not about the _look_ it’s about the _taste_. ‘nd it tastes pretty darn good.” Jesse stated. “Ya sure ya don’t wanna try it.” He questioned, holding up his fork to offer a bite to Hanzo.

Hanzo seemed to be having an inner debate with himself before he relented and chose to give it a try. Hanzo gently placed his hand over the hand Jesse was using to hold the fork and leaned in to take a bite. “The texture isn’t as bad as I expected it to be, and I will concede that the flavor is pleasant, though in my personal opinion, it’s a bit heavy for a morning meal.” Hanzo commented.

Jesse smiled and shrugged. “I guess I can see yer point.” He conceded. It wasn’t go to stop him from enjoying his meal.

When they were both finished, Jesse went looking for his boots. He wasn’t sure where they’d be going, but he was excited to see what Hanamura had to offer. There was a chance that this little town would be his new home, so it’d be good to know the area. Before they were supposed to go, he remembered what Hanzo said about the cold; Jesse picked out a jean jacket and slipped it on. He noticed Hanzo was putting on a black little mask thing that Jesse thought people only wore when they were sick or something, but then again, fashion was weird. Or maybe it was so the prince wouldn’t get recognized, since Hanzo had to be well known around here, that made sense.

“Are you ready?” Hanzo questioned.

Jesse finished putting his boots on and nodded. “Yeah, I’m all set.” He replied.

“Then let’s be on our way.” Hanzo remarked.

\---

“Yer folks ‘re fine with ya walking around without yer guards?” Jesse questioned.

“Genji and I are more than capable of taking care of ourselves, and the guards patrol the town as well as the palace, so they do not need to be at our side to protect us.” Hanzo explained.

“My Pops don’t ever let me ‘r Sombra go out by ourselves; ‘f course we usually just ditch our guards anyway.” Jesse remarked. “Pa don’t mind too much as long as we’re carrying some sort ‘f sidearm.”

“Are you carrying one currently?” Hanzo asked. He was carrying a number of hidden blades on his person, but he didn’t see Jesse with any weapons earlier.

“Nah, didn’t think it’d be polite ta carry a gun on a first date.” Jesse replied. “ ‘sides, I don’t really know what the gun regulations ‘re ‘round here.”

“Well, they wouldn’t apply to you.” Hanzo remarked. “There are exceptions to those rules for military and royalty. You are free to carry here, although concealing your weapon would be appreciated, as open carrying a gun tends to make the public uneasy for obvious reasons.”

“Got it.” Jesse stated, giving Hanzo a little nod.

They made their way out of the palace gates and into the streets of Hanamura. Hanzo thought it would be a good idea to take Jesse to the park first, as it wouldn’t be crowded yet, and they could walk the grounds relatively undisturbed. The sky was partially cloudy, and there was a slight breeze that carried the cherry blossoms through the air. Jesse appeared to be thankful he brought a jacket, because he pulled it a bit closer to himself as the breeze picked up, and Hanzo thought he saw the man shiver before buttoning his jacket up all the way. Hanzo walked a bit closer to Jesse, and took his hand in his own, lacing their fingers together as they walked. Jesse seemed to startle at first, and Hanzo wondered if he shouldn’t have been so forward, but Jesse then gave his hand a little squeeze and didn’t try to pull away, so Hanzo took that as a win.

“There is a museum not far from here.” Hanzo remarked. “If you would like, we could go there. I think it would be a good way for you to see our culture and history.”

“I’d like that.” Jesse replied.

Hanzo didn’t realize just how much he’d wanted to hear Jesse say that until this moment, though his smile was obstructed by his mask. The museum was a short walk from the east side of the park, so it wasn’t long before they made it to their destination. It was one of the larger builders, and it had a stature of two brass, twin dragons at the front of it, and a sign that read “Museum of Hanamura” above the doors. Hanzo paid their entrance fee, and they were both allowed inside.

Their first stop was the dinosaur exhibit. They had a Khaan, Jinfengopteryx, Linheraptor, Gigantoraptor, Anchiornis, and a Luanchuanraptor.

“Wow, so it’s a history museum?” Jesse questioned.

“Yes, the history of Hanamura.” Hanzo stated. “Each of these were found here. The first was the Khaan, which was discovered by accident when a pipeline was being built. Afterwards, a team was sent out to search the area for more and the rest were uncovered.”

“Ain’t that something.” Jesse remarked, admiring the ancient beasts.

The next stop was the hall of armor, which held both the armor of past emperors and famed samurai of Hanamura. Each was crafted for the wearer, making it easy to identify the warriors in artwork made of them.

“Yer Pa have a set of armor like this?” Jesse asked.

“He does, as do I and Genji. It is purely for tradition though, we have not needed to wear such armor for battle.” Hanzo replied. “I prefer to fight without armor, so I am not restricted in my movements.”

Jesse shrugged. “Closet thing I’ve ever had ta armor was a chest plate, but that was just during the crisis. Haven’t had ta wear it since.” He commented.

“Hopefully you won’t ever need a reason to.” Hanzo said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

They continued on to the hall of art. It featured works of famous artists that lived in the Shimada Empire, most were originally from Hanamura. The largest painting was the one that depicted the beginning of the Shimada Empire. Two twin dragons displayed prominently aiding two samurai in their quest to protect his town from invasion.

“Is this one special?” Jesse asked.

Hanzo assumed Jesse was unable to read paintings name or description since both were in Japanese. “It is my ancestors. Hanamura has always been one of the smaller towns, and in the past, other, larger regions fought for control of it. Many of Hanamura’s warriors either died trying to protect the town, or fell ill and were unable to fight. Only my ancestors were left, two brothers forced to stand against an army. The dragons saw their courage, and deemed them worthy. They promised to aid my ancestors in battle. With the dragons, the two warriors defeated the army, and Hanamura has always been under the protection of the Shimada, and the Shimada have always been aided by the dragons.”

“Where’d the dragon’s come from?” Jesse asked.

“That is a longer story, perhaps I will tell you another time, when we are in a more private domain.” Hanzo replied.

Jesse nodded. “I’ll hold ya to that.”

\---

They went to some noodle place for lunch. Jesse had wondered if Hanzo was going to try and eat while keeping that funny little mask on, but instead, they just got a table in the back of the room and Hanzo took it off to eat. The food was good, better than good, actually. Jesse always liked trying new foods from all the places he visited. The atmosphere was pretty good too.

“Are you enjoying your meal?” Hanzo questioned.

“I sure am.” Jesse replied. “You?”

“Yes.” Hanzo stated, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. “Would you like to play a game?”

“A game?” Jesse asked, his interest piqued.

“I enjoyed playing ‘two truths and a lie’ with you, I thought it would be nice to do something similar.” Hanzo suggested.

“Have ya ever played ‘Are You an X or a Y?” Jesse questioned.

“I don’t believe I have.” Hanzo conceded.

“It’s a kinda silly game. You ask each other questions like, ‘Are you a horse or a lion?’ or ‘Are you a teacher or a lawyer?’ that sort of thing.” Jesse explained.

“Why?” Hanzo asked.

Jesse shrugged. “Answers ‘re different fer everybody. It’s a way ta get ta know yer personality, I guess.” He replied.

“Are you a fox or a bear?” Hanzo asked.

Jesse grinned “Definitely a fox.” He remarked. “Are you coffee or cream?”               

“Coffee.” Hanzo stated. “Are you a plane or a car.”

“Car. I hate flying.” Jesse answered. “Are you a lover or a fighter.”

“I fight for those I love.” Hanzo replied. “Are you a gun or a knife?”

“Probably a gun. Prefer fightin’ from a distance.” Jesse replied. “Are you a cat or a dog.”

Hanzo pondered that one. “I believe I would be a cat.” He remarked. “Are you a top or a bottom?”

Jesse felt his cheeks blush. “Depends on the moment I suppose.” He commented.

Hanzo’s little smirk sent a shiver down Jesse’s spin. “I can understand the sentiment.” He added.

The arcade was next on their list. Boy they didn’t have places like this back at home. Jesse felt like he was a little kid in a candy store. The games were loud, the lights were almost blinding, music blasted throughout the building, and Jesse was ready to play some games. Hanzo was familiar with them, and usually had a story involving Genji and one of more of the arcade machines. It was nice. Hanzo would give him little tips while he played, and helped him through a few of the tougher stages.

There was a shooting game that Jesse decided to try. The top three scores were held by HAN, and there were two GEN entries close behind. Jesse had a hunch who held the top five spots, but he didn’t confirm it with Hanzo. Instead, he did his best to dethrone whoever had the top spot. It took him a few tries to figure out the hit boxes on the enemies, but once he knew where to hit them, the game was as good as his. Jesse trained with Ana, the best Captain in their army. She was their finest sniper, and spent many of her free hours training Jesse. He didn’t know how long he’d been playing, just that his score was getting higher and higher. He was eventually overrun, but not before staking his claim on the scoreboard.

“I must admit, I’m impressed.” Hanzo stated. “You got farther than I thought possible.”

“I only beat the top score by a few thousand points.” Jesse remarked, typing in JSE into the machine, and watching as it replaced the HAN in the number one position, knocking it down to second. “Just barely squeaked into first.”

“Still.” Hanzo said, standing a bit closer to Jesse. “Your aim is good as rumors claim.”

“Thank ya kindly.” Jesse replied.

While they were leaving, one of those weird onion toys caught his eye. It was pink and purples, with what looked like a Calavera on it. Hanzo apparently noticed his staring. The prince walked over to the machine and wordlessly put a coin in and started the machine up. He won it on his first try, which made Jesse wonder how many times Hanzo had played these claw games.

“For you.” Hanzo stated, handing the plush to Jesse.

Jesse smiled and took the plush onion octopus thing. It was weird, but pretty cute. “Thanks.”

He held onto the plushie as they exited the arcade and began their walk back to the palace. Jesse then felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, the feeling of being watched. He didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary, then again, he was still unfamiliar with the place, so he couldn’t be sure what was normal and what was strange around here. They continued walking through a more crowded street, and Jesse was soon face to face with the barrel of a gun.

“Now, don’t do something you’ll regret.” The man stated. “Why don’t you come quietly?” There was a second man behind him, grabbing his arm with enough force to leave bruises.

What happened next was a blur, that Jesse would have missed if he blinked. The man wielding the gun dropped it and there was some sort of blade in his wrist, followed by another through his skull. The man who had been holding him went down after being stabbed in the neck by a retractable blade. People screamed as the two bloodied bodies hit the floor, and the guards came running to their location. Hanzo was scanning the area, shuriken in hand. It appeared to have just been the two men; if they were working with someone else, that person was long gone.

“Did you just-?” Jesse questioned.

“Yes.” Hanzo answered, putting his shuriken back wherever he’d been keeping it before as the two of them were surrounded by the guards. Hanzo took out a handkerchief and used it to wipe the blood off of his retractable blade he’d used to kill Jesse’s would-be kidnapper.

[ _Find out who these two were and who they worked for. I want to know what they were planning._ ] Hanzo ordered the guards. He turned to Jesse. “We should return to the palace. It will be safer there than out in the open.”

Jesse nodded, still a little shocked by the whole situation.

\---

Gabriel Reyes-Morrison and Genji were both waiting at the door when they arrived back at the castle.

Gabriel started to talk to Jesse in Spanish, so Hanzo couldn’t be sure what was being said, and he didn’t have much time to ponder what they could be saying because Genji was soon bombarding him with questions of his own.

[ _I heard there was an attempted kidnapping. Are you both alright?_ ] Genji asked.

[ _We are both fine. I don’t believe the kidnappers realized who I was, so Jesse was their target, not me. I can’t be sure if they only wanted him, or both of us._ ] Hanzo explained. [ _Either way, I will be staying close to Jesse to ensure his safety, so I want you leading the investigation into this._ ]

Genji nodded seriously. [ _I understand. I will make sure the bastards take a one way trip to hell for daring to make an attack like this in our capital. They're being cocky._ ] He stated. [ _I don’t like it._ ]

[ _This was clearly meant as a personal attack. It is unclear if it was purely against us or Jesse’s family, but either way, I want you to ensure the ones responsible never see the light of day._ ] Hanzo said.

Genji nodded. [ _I’ll keep you updated on what we find, brother._ ]

There would always be more; kidnapping the children of royalty was the easiest way to get what you wanted from their parents. None had ever been successful in Hanamura. Most of their guards were soldiers at some point. They always eliminated a threat before their enemies had a chance to kidnap the two, young princes. Threats like this were also why Hanzo and Genji had been required to train, and learn how to defend themselves should there ever come a time their guards were not with them. Today, for example. Hanzo’s father required them to carry concealed blades on them each time they left the palace, though in truth, both were deadly even without a blade. Their father was a powerful man, nearly untouchable. It was likely the same for the Reyes-Morrison’s. Hanzo wondered how often people had tried to kidnap Jesse in the past. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again.

When they were finished talking, Gabriel seemed to follow Genji as his brother turned to leave; Hanzo assumed the man would want to be involved in the investigation as well.

“Are you alright?” Hanzo asked, turning his attention to Jesse.

Jesse smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied. “My Pa said he’ll be sending me extra boxes of ammunition, so I’m not a sitting duck.”

“Good.” Hanzo commented. “I hope you will not need to use it, but I understand the desire to be prepared.”

“You were quick on the draw, today.” Jesse remarked. “Thanks for saving me.”

“I am sure you would do the same for me.” Hanzo retorted. “I will be sticking closer to your side from now on, so please forgive me if I make you feel cloistered.”

“Nah, I understand. I want ta make sure yer safe too, so it works out.” Jesse replied.

Hanzo felt something in his chest start to flutter, but he did his best to ignore it for now. “I think now would be a good time to return to our room.”

“Sounds like a plan, darlin’ ” Jesse stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idioms:  
> lay of the land:  
> 1\. Lit. the arrangement of features on an area of land. (Also with lie, especially British English.)  
> 2\. Fig. the arrangement or organization of something other than land. 
> 
> couldn't hold a candle to:  
> not [to be] equal to someone; unable to measure up to someone.
> 
> skin and bones:  
> Painfully thin, emaciated.
> 
> barely squeaked in:  
> to succeed by a very small margin.
> 
> caught his eye:  
> 1\. To attract one's attention, often by making eye contact.  
> 2\. To attract one's interest, especially due to being visually appealing or attractive.
> 
> a sitting duck:  
> Something that is unprotected and vulnerable to an easy attack.


	3. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be studying for a test but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Comments and Criticisms are always welcome!

It was a minor relief to be back behind castle walls, but there were still those out there who wished to do them harm. Hanzo would not let his guard down again. He could feel the dragons under his skin, itching for their chance to smite those who would dare think to harm Jesse. When they reached their room, Hanzo took off his jacket, tossing it to the side. The sleeve had been soaked in the blood of the one who grabbed Jesse; his arm still felt sticky from the residue. He’d need to bathe soon.

“Hey, Han?” Jesse prompted.

“Yes?” Hanzo replied, turning to face Jesse, who was sitting on the edge of their bed, holding the plush Hanzo had won him close to his chest.

“Do ya think those guys ‘re gonna try somethin’ again soon?” Jesse asked.

“They would be fools to.” Hanzo stated, taking his hair out of his ponytail and letting it cascade down his back. “But they have already shown their lack of forethought by attempting a stunt such as this midday, so it is possible.”

“They wouldn’t try to get in the palace, right?” Jesse questioned.

“That would be impossible.” Hanzo answered. “Our guards are highly trained, and our security is top notch. They would not make it through the gates.”

“But if they did?” Jesse insisted.

“They I would kill them myself.” Hanzo replied. “You are safe here.” He added.

Jesse nodded. “Sorry.” He said, running his fingers through his hair. “Haven’t had someone try ta grab me since I was eight. Kinda fergot what it was like.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Hanzo stated.

The bodies of the would-be kidnappers should be taken care of by now. Their police force would be able to find their identities, and from there, finding their co-workers would be top priority. Though even if they found whatever group was working to conduct the kidnapping, this went further up. Someone was pulling the strings, and Hanzo wanted a name. The Shimada didn’t have many enemies that still breathed, so it was likely someone who had a problem with the OW Empire. Someone who wanted to start a war. If Jesse had been kidnapped, or, gods forbid, killed on Shimada soil, then war would undoubtedly follow.

Hanzo was so lost in thought, that he barely registered the hand moving back and forth in front of his face.

“Ya still with me, Han?” Jesse questioned.

“Sorry, there is a lot on my mind.” Hanzo replied.

“I know the feelin’.” Jesse said, rubbing the back of his neck. “One hell of a first date, huh?” Jesse commented.

“Hopefully they won’t be so _exciting_ in the future.” Hanzo remarked.

“That from the other guy?” Jesse asked, gesturing to the traces of blood on Hanzo’s wrist.

“Yes, it’s not my own.” Hanzo assured. Exhaustion was beginning to seep into every part of his being. Jesse didn’t look much better. “It has been a long day, and I believe now would be a good time to bathe. Would you mind joining me?” Hanzo questioned.

Jesse seemed to be thinking it over, and Hanzo patiently waited for him to make up his mind. “I guess now ‘s as good a time as any.” Jesse remarked.

As they entered the wash room, Hanzo wondered if Jesse had ever been to a hot spring before. He had heard they were not as common in the West as they were here. Hanzo undressed and walked over to one of the small wooden stools so he could begin washing himself. Jesse seemed hesitant, and was still dressed by the time Hanzo finished washing himself.

“Is something troubling you?” Hanzo asked.

Jesse seemed startled by the question, but was quick to recover. “No, no, I just ain’t used ta bathing around someone else, I suppose.” Jesse replied.

“Would it make you more comfortable if I promised not to look?” Hanzo questioned.

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want ta make a fuss.” He said, as he started to undress.

Hanzo averted his gaze regardless. “You wouldn’t be making a fuss.” Hanzo insisted. “If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to pretend it doesn’t.” He added. “You can be honest with me.”

“I’ll get over it.” Jesse stated. “Just not used ta this yet.”

When Jesse finished washing, they went out to the hot springs. Hanzo used a small hairband he brought with him to tie his hair up in a bun to keep it out of the water.

The hot springs was a welcome relief against his body. His muscles began to relax and Hanzo let his eyes close as he leaned back against the rocks.

\--

“Feels like I’m being boiled.” Jesse remarked as he eased his way into the water.

“Your body will adjust to the temperature in time.” Hanzo stated. “But tell me if you start to feel dizzy. Some can’t handle the heat as well as others.”

“Good ta know.” Jesse replied.

Jesse couldn’t help but feel a little exposed. He didn’t like to go to the beach shirtless, and now he was naked next to one of the most handsome men alive. It was hard not to act a little self-conscious. Jesse did his best to ignore the anxiety welling up in his chest, and instead focused on enjoying the hot spring. Jesse glanced down at his arm. There were still bruises on it from where he’d been grabbed; hopefully, they’d fade away in a day or two.

“Ya don’t think the fellas who tried ta grab me today will try somethin’ at the weddin’, do ya?” Jesse asked.

“They will likely want to; however, I am sure they will be dealt with before the ceremony is to occur.” Hanzo replied.

“Right.” Jesse said, leaning back against some of the rocks. “We’re gonna have ta start planning fer that, right?”

“Yes.” Hanzo stated. “I believe we are supposed to pick out floral arrangements tomorrow.”

“Do the flowers really matter all that much?” Jesse asked.

“Flowers have meaning, and it is good to have the right flowers at a wedding.” Hanzo explained. “Are you allergic to any?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Pollen don’t really bother me.” Jesse remarked.

Talking about the wedding was starting to make it more real than it felt before. Maybe he should diet. Three months was enough time to lose some weight. After all, there were programs that claimed you could lose 40 pounds in a week. Maybe one of those juice only cleanses. He was pretty sure those didn’t work, but it might be worth a shot. Or maybe just stick ta rabbit food, veggies and only veggies. Not the tastiest plan, but he didn’t really have many other options.

“Is something the matter.” Hanzo questioned. “You seem distracted.”

“No, it’s just, I know you’re kinda gettin’ the short end of the stick.” Jesse commented.

“I don’t understand what you mean?” Hanzo stated.

“Well, I’m sure if politics didn’t matter you’d have plenty of handsomer fellas lined up.” Jesse explained.

Hanzo just stared at him a moment before saying, “Jesse, I think you are beautiful.”  

Jesse felt his cheeks flush. “Ya don’t really mean that.” He remarked. “I know I’m no Prince Charming.”

“Jesse.” Hanzo said, moving closer to Jesse until they were inches apart. “Do not doubt my word. I would not lie to you simply to flatter you. I truly believe that you are beautiful.”

“I’m not muscular like you.” Jesse dismissed. “Don’t look, act, or sound very _princely_ either.”

“Fat does not equal ugly.” Hanzo replied. “You are kind. Your freckles are lovely. You are soft, and warm. You have a very handsome face. And I believe you are beautiful, Jesse.” Hanzo added. “I am happy to be marrying you.”

Jesse could feel his heart pounding faster in his chest. Hanzo sounded so _sincere_ , it was hard not to take him for his word. Hanzo’s face was so close to his. Jesse closed the space between them. Hanzo seemed surprised at first, but quickly eased into it. Hanzo’s arms wrapped around his neck, and Jesse let his hands rest on Hanzo’s hips. When they pulled apart, Jesse noticed that Hanzo’s cheeks were blushed a rosy pink; it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one feeling flustered. Jesse leaned in for another kiss, and Hanzo happily met him halfway. Jesse was starting to learn how easy it was to let himself get lost in Hanzo. As he began to feel more confident, Jesse let his hands start to roam over Hanzo’s skin. He wanted to explore every inch of it, but Jesse also didn’t want to rush into things, so he tried to contain himself. Jesse lost track of time, and only noticed how long they’d been at it when the sun began to set.

“As much as I do not want this moment to end,” Hanzo began. “It is not wise to stay in the water for so long. Perhaps we should go back to our room?”

Jesse nodded. Hanzo was the first to get out, and Jesse couldn’t help but stare as he watched the water cling to Hanzo’s skin. He followed Hanzo inside and dried off. They both dressed in light robes and went back to their room.

“Hungry?” Hanzo asked.

“A bit.” Jesse replied, suddenly realizing how hungry he actually was.

“I’ll tell the chef to start cooking.” Hanzo remarked, pulling his phone out, and presumably texting the chef.

Jesse sat down on the bed; the cool sheets felt incredible against his warm skin. This was nice.

\--

Hanzo enjoyed eating in comfortable silence with Jesse. Both were happy just to enjoy the other’s company. When they finished their meals, Jesse was the first to say something.

“Ya ever play True or False?” Jesse asked, pushing his empty tray to the side.

“No, I can’t say I have.” Hanzo replied.

“Well, you basically tell each other a story or fact from your life, and the listener has to guess whether it’s true or false and argue their decision.” Jesse explained.

“That seems like it might be interesting.” Hanzo remarked. “Would you like to start?”

“Once, my Pops hired me a science tutor, and he was a gorilla.” Jesse stated.

“Do you mean like the soldier, or the animal?” Hanzo asked.

“The animal.” Jesse replied.

“Then false, because if there was a gorilla who knew anything about science, why would he choose to tutor?” Hanzo reasoned.

“Good reasoning, but wrong. His name was Winston, and he was in the neighborhood working on astro-physics or something, so in his spare time, my Pops got him to tutor me.” Jesse replied.

“I once got stuck on the top of a Ferris Wheel with my brother, and rather than wait there for however long it would take to fix, we both decided to climb down.” Hanzo said.

“I’m gonna say false, because I think you _could_ do that, but it’d be a bit scandalous for a prince to be seen climbing down a Ferris Wheel just cause ya didn’t want ta wait any longer.” Jesse replied.

“You would be correct.” Hanzo stated, with a small smile on his face. “Genji was ready to jump out, but I managed to convince him to stay. It only took a few minutes before the ride began again regardless.”

“My turn.” Jesse announced. “Once, fer April Fool’s day, I got a bunch of tea bags, and stuck them into the tanks of all the toilets in the palace, so the water would turn brown after ya flushed, and it took them a _while_ to figure out what was wrong with ‘em.”

“False, because I do not think you would do this to _all_ of them. Perhaps just the ones closest to bedrooms.” Hanzo guessed.

“Damn, you’d be right.” Jesse replied. “The fact that they all weren’t doing it was just making ‘em more confused. You think someone woulda looked in the tank first.”

“There was one time when I was younger, that Genji convinced me to go fishing with him. However, he was never the most patient person, and instead of fishing we ended up having a mud fight, and we tried to wash most of it off in the river before sneaking back inside. The servants didn’t question our dirty clothes, and before you ask, the river was on a private bit of land, so there was no chance of anyone seeing us.”

“True, because you seem like the type who’s not afraid ta get a little dirty.” Jesse commented.

Hanzo felt his face flush slightly at the implications behind Jesse’s words. “You would be correct.” Hanzo answered. “I look back on that day fondly.” Genji hadn’t stopped smiling the entire time. It was rare that they had time to spend with each other, so Hanzo cherished every moment they had.

“Okay, my turn again,” Jesse started.

Hanzo let himself relax as he continued to play the silly game with Jesse. It was nice getting to know the prince of the West. Hanzo truly felt at ease around him. It was even nicer when Jesse curled up next to him and pulled him in to cuddle. The kisses he received were nice as well. Hanzo wasn’t sure why he had worried so much; he couldn’t wait for their wedding day.

\--

Genji had been at the police station all night. Gabriel had stayed too, but eventually Sojiro had convinced him to come back to the palace, with the promise that he would be kept in the loop. Genji assumed that his father knew he was too stubborn to be persuaded to leave.

Facial recognition software identified the corpses as Niko Tilburg and Larry Grey. They were just thugs for hire, but thugs that were known to work in bigger groups than just the two of them. Genji had already sent out teams to question the known associates of Tilburg and Grey. Both had recently received a large cash payment, but it was proving difficult to track. Genji had cleared the room and sat down in front of the monitor, watching as their decrypting software tried to track down a name.

His phone began to vibrate in his pocket, and Genji’s first instinct was to ignore it and focus on the task at hand, but something was telling him to check it. It was an unknown number.

“Having some technical difficulties?” it read. Genji didn’t know what to make of it, and assumed it was just a wrong number.

There was another text that immediately followed it. “I’ll just let myself in and fix that for you.”

Well, that was cryptic. Genji wasn’t sure if this was a joke, or what. Suddenly, the screen started glitching out, and a purple skull appeared on the screen. Genji tried to stop whatever it was from getting in, but he wasn’t a tech genius, and he couldn’t even unplug the damn thing because it was linked into the main powerlines. Genji could only watch in confusion as the trail became more coherent, and a name came up Akande Ogundimu. Genji recognized that name. Wasn’t he supposed to be in prison?

Another text, “Gotcha. You’re welcome, mi amigo.”

Genji replied this time, “Who are you?” He didn’t think this person would give up their name to him, but it was worth a shot.

“I’m your soon-to-be sister-in-law, and I want to help you catch the bastards who tried to take my brother.”

Oh. Right. He’d almost forgotten that Jesse wasn’t an only child.

“Has your father authorized you to help with this?” He asked.

“He told me what happened, which is basically the same thing.” She replied. “I will be there tomorrow to work with you.”

“Aren’t you like seven or something?” Genji asked.

“I’m ten, and I just got you a name your outdated software would have gotten you in a week. Don’t underestimate me, Shimada.”

“Fair point, see you tomorrow then.”

“I’m glad you could see it my way, amigo.”

Genji ran his fingers through his hair. Akande Ogundimu, leader of talon. The terrorist organization that has been trying, and failing, to bring down the OW empire for the past thirty years. It made sense that they would want to disrupt the wedding, but Genji wasn’t about to let that happen.

Genji looked into Ogundimu’s file. He liked to be called ‘doomfist’ yeah, he definitely wasn’t compensating for something. He recently broke out of prison, literally, it would seem if the pictures were real. According to the report, he escaped a day after the engagement had been announced.

While Ogundimu had been in prison, talon activity had died down. It seems like they were waiting for their chance to strike. And now, with the chance to start another war, possibly as devastating as the Crisis, talon was back. Genji would need to update both the police and his soldiers of what they were looking at. This was bigger than they had originally thought. Maybe some more help would be nice. Even if that help was in the form of a sarcastic, ten year old girl.

\--

Sombra started packing her bag. She had planned on seeing Jesse before the wedding, just not this soon. Then again, she’d probably be so busy she wouldn’t get to see much of him. She fucking hated planes, and flying in general, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her. Tracking down Ogundimu had been child’s play, but she wasn’t so naïve as to think tracking down the rest of talon’s movements would be as easy. They’d still be easy, but it might take her at least a day to find them all, not the thirty seconds she needed to find Ogundimu. And those bastards loved to move around, like bugs, always going from one place to another. Luckily, she was very good at squishing bugs.

Sombra made sure to text Papí what was going on. It would be a good idea to keep him in the loop. She packed up her Machine Pistol and some extra ammo packs. It was good to be prepared.

Genji seemed reasonably helpful. At the very least, he didn’t look like he’d get in her way, which was all that mattered. Any talon bastards who thought they could try and kidnap her brother and get away with it were in for a rude awakening. She was always looking for some good friends. And a friend that had a dragon sounded like a friend she wanted. Genji could be useful.

Her plane would leave in the morning. She threw in a few Translocators into one of her bags. They were still prototypes, but they might come in handy. She also brought her Thermoptic Camo Jacket. If they were going to be sneaky about this, she’d want to have it with her.

She was all finished packing, and now, there was only one thing left to do. “Looks like I have time to do some research.” She muttered to herself as she turned on her desktop computer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom:  
> Short end of the stick : The worst, the smaller, or less desirable part, rank, task, or amount


	4. Flowers And Claws

Hanzo woke up at dawn. Light trickled in through the window, and birds could be heard singing outside. Jesse was pressed against his back, one arm near his head, the other draped over his side. Hanzo knew he should get up and begin getting ready for the day, but he couldn’t help but lean back into the warmth Jesse emitted. He was surprised by how nice it felt to be held. He hadn’t expected that. Then again, Jesse was full of surprises.

It wasn’t long before Jesse began to stir behind him. Hanzo went still, trying his best to keep his muscles relaxed, so Jesse wouldn’t feel him stiffen suddenly. He hoped that Jesse would simply fall back asleep, but instead, the man began to sit up in bed and let out a yawn. Hanzo was already missing the heat Jesse had been providing him as Jesse rolled out of bed and walked over to their dresser.

Hanzo humored the idea of trying to fall back asleep, but he couldn’t allow himself to. He had responsibilities he needed to attend to. Like the florist. When was he due to arrive? Hanzo was fairly certain it was scheduled sometime before noon.

“Mornin’, Sunshine.” Jesse greeted, leaning down to press a kiss to Hanzo’s forehead.

Hanzo blinked in surprise and turned to look up at Jesse. He wasn’t sure why he felt relaxed enough around the Western prince to let his guard down so easily. “Good morning.” Hanzo said, sitting up in bed. “Did you sleep well?” Hanzo noticed Jesse wearing his gun holstered to his hip. Hanzo was glad to see Jesse would no longer be wandering around unarmed.

“Like a log.” Jesse replied.

“A log?” Hanzo repeated. Was their bed too hard for Jesse to sleep well?

“It’s just a saying, sweetheart.” Jesse commented. “I slept just fine.” He added. Hanzo noticed the prince was wearing a hat he’d never seen before. It looked like it was out of a children’s book depicting cowboys.

Hanzo reached out and took it off Jesse’s head so he could examine it more closely. “What is this?” He questioned.

“That’s my favorite Stetson.” Jesse replied.

“What is the point of wearing a hat indoors?” Hanzo asked.

Jesse shrugged. “No point really, I suppose.” He remarked. “I forgot I brought it, so when I saw it I just wanted to put it on again.” He admitted, a small blush flushing his checks.

This man would be the death of him. “Since we cannot leave the palace, you can wear it indoors. It might help block the sun if you choose to venture out through the gardens.” Hanzo remarked, handing the hat back to Jesse.

Hanzo got out of bed so he could get dressed for the day. Since he’d be dealing with the florist, he’d need to dress traditionally. He ignored his new wardrobe Genji had picked out for him and chose a simple yukata with a blue thunderstorm pattern.

“Well, ain’t you pretty as a picture.” Jesse remarked, embracing Hanzo from behind and leaning in to press a kiss to his neck.

“Another one of your sayings?” Hanzo commented.

“It just might be.” Jesse replied, pressing a kiss to Hanzo’s cheek.

Before Hanzo could reply, there was a knock at the door. Jesse let go of Hanzo so he could answer it. A servant was waiting on the other side to deliver a message. The florist would be arriving early than expected. The messenger also presented Hanzo with two trays containing a light breakfast. Hanzo took the trays and dismissed the messenger, who bowed to Hanzo before leaving.

“What’s up?” Jesse questioned.

“It appears our schedule has changed. The florist will be early, so we will need to be prepared to meet them within the hour.” Hanzo informed.

Jesse shrugged. “Worse ways ta start the day.” He mused.

\--

After they finished their breakfast, Jesse let Hanzo lead them through the palace to one of the main dining halls. The tables were filled with different flower arrangements. Jesse figured they were supposed to choose which ones they wanted for the wedding. Jesse didn’t really mind what flowers they got. They were all pretty, and they smelled nice. As long as they wouldn’t wish death upon them or some shit, it didn’t really matter which flowers they went with. And Jesse was fairly certain the florist wasn’t going to offer them some flowers that would give them a bad omen in flower language.

“Your highnesses.” The florist greeted with a bow.

“Mr. Watanabe.” Hanzo replied. “What have you brought with you?”

“I have brought my finest wedding flowers for you to choose from.” The florist informed.

Jesse looked over the different flowers. Some looked familiar, but the only one he could remember the name of was the roses Mr. Watanabe had.

Jesse watched Hanzo eye the flowers critically. They all looked pretty damn perfect from Jesse’s perspective, but then again, he wasn’t sure what Hanzo was looking for. To break the silence, Jesse figured now was a good a time as any to learn about the language of flowers.

“So, what’s this one?” Jesse questioned motioning to one of the vases.

 **“** That flower is the Forget-Me-Not, meaning faithful love and memory, or true love.” The Florist explained. “It is a very popular choice for weddings in the West.” He added.

“What ‘bout these?” Jesse asked, noting that Hanzo had been looking at them the closest.

 **“** The orchid is a display of love and beauty.” The Florist stated. “They are used for floral arrangements and center pieces.”

“And these ones here?” Jesse asked. He wondered how many types of flowers a wedding should have. Were they supposed to pick just one, or could they get multiple?

“The peony is meant to represent happiness and prosperity.” The Florist said. “Many couples choose them in the hopes that they will have a joyous, long-lasting marriage.”

Jesse nodded slightly. They were all beautiful, and it was kind of fun learning the meaning behind them. “What are these?” He questioned, continuing down the table to look at the other flowers.

 **“** Chrysanthemum, meaning happiness and long life.” The Florist remarked.

“How ‘bout this bunch over here?” Jesse asked.

 **“** That one is amaryllis, meaning pride, and pastoral beauty.” The Florist answered.

As they neared the table, Jesse looked at the bouquet of red roses the florist had set out. “Now I know that the roses ‘re supposed ta be romantic, but do they got a special meanin’ too?” Jesse questioned.

“The red rose symbolizes love and desire.” The Florist informed. “That is why they are the most common gift to give a lover.”

Jesse hummed softly. He wondered which flowers Hanzo would like. He certainly liked them all. Jesse watched Hanzo out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be in deep thought. They were getting married out in the garden, which was filled with cheery blossoms. They reception would take place in both the garden and the main dining hall. They would probably want some arrangements lining the hallways as well.

Eventually, Hanzo made his decision. “They are suitable.” Hanzo stated. “Work with the wedding coordinator to decide which arrangements will go in which rooms of the castle. She will run the final decisions by me to approve them.”  

Jesse paused a moment. “We’re gonna have all of ‘em?” Jesse questioned.

“Do you have a problem with that?” Hanzo questioned.

“Nah, just makin’ sure.” Jesse replied easily.

“As you wish.” The florist stated, bowing to Hanzo and Jesse before leaving to go speak with the wedding coordinator.

“Jesse, would you like to join me in the gardens?” Hanzo asked. “I believe some fresh air would be nice.”

“Sure thing, Pumpkin.” Jesse replied.

\--

Hanzo sat on the wooden patio in front of the large bell. Jesse lounged beside him, their shoulders pressed against one another. Hanzo would probably hear from the coordinator by the end of the week. They should have the finest baker in Japan visiting tomorrow with different cakes to sample. Then they would need to meet with a tailor. Hanzo still had yet to ask Jesse if he wanted to wear a suit, or a Hakama bearing his family crest like Hanzo would be wearing. Hanzo remembered reading that most men wear tuxedos when wed in the West.

Hanzo rested his head on Jesse’s shoulder. He remembered Genji telling him that Jesse’s sister would be staying with them in one of the guest bedrooms. He would need to read up on her, or perhaps he could simply ask Jesse what the girl was like. Hanzo knew from the research he’d done on Jesse, that they must be close; Sombra had been in a number of pictures with Jesse and they always looked like they were happy together.

“Hey Han.” Jesse began, pulling Hanzo out of his thoughts.

“Yes?” Hanzo replied, turning his attention to Jesse.

“Yer guards usually double back through here by now. Feels like they’ve been gone too long, don’t it?” Jesse questioned.

Hanzo looked around the gardens. Jesse was right. There were only two men by the gates, but the rest of the guards that should have been patrolling the grounds were missing. Something was wrong. “We should go inside. We need to speak to the guard captain about this.” Hanzo said, noticing that Jesse was still looking somewhere. Hanzo followed his gaze and realized what he was looking at.

“Am I right ta assume that ain’t one of yers?” Jesse asked. “He don’t move like yer guys.” He added.

“Jesse, we need to go _now_.” Hanzo ordered, standing up. What he wouldn’t do to have his storm bow in this moment. Sure, he had dozens of knives on him, but the assailant was too far away for that to do any real damage.

As they began moving away, the attacker pulled a gun out and began lining up his shot. Hanzo felt himself shoved back by a strong hand and watched as the attacker fell; his body toppled gracelessly off the roof. Hanzo turned to see Jesse, with smoke still billowing out of the barrel of his gun form the shot he’d fired. His eyes were scanning the area, but the man seemed to have been alone.

“Inside. _Now_.” Hanzo commanded, taking Jesse’s hand in his and leading him back inside while the two guards that were by the gate went over to inspect the body.

Jesse had his gun back in its holster once they were safely inside. Hanzo would be having words with the guard captain. Security should have been doubled. This was unacceptable.

Hanzo found the guard captain on the Western wing of the Palace, with most of the guards and two more bodies.

[ _Young Master,]_ The guard captain said, bowing to them. [ _I just sent someone to find you. Two unknown assailants attempted to scale the Western wall. We have dealt with them._ ]

[ _And what of the lone assailant who attempted to shoot myself and Jesse while we were in the gardens?]_ Hanzo questioned. [ _Where were your men?_ ]

The guard captain paled slightly, but his voice didn’t waiver when he stated, [ _There was a fight outside the palace gates. Some of the guard left to help the police resolve it. The men responsible for the fight were apprehended and in holding now. The other guards left to search along the Western wall to see if there were any other men attempting to gain entry.]_ The captain bowed again to Hanzo. [ _We did not expect the assailants would try to enter from the East side as it normally would have the most of the guard. I am terribly sorry to have failed you._ ]

Hanzo scowled. [ _It is obvious that the ones who tried to gain entry were working with whoever started the commotion outside of the palace gates. If you value your position here, then you should start your investigation there._ ] Hanzo stated. [ _I want the number of guards increased. This should never happen again._ ] He added, the finality in his tone seemed to register with the guard captain, who bowed again and left to follow Hanzo’s orders.

“So, what did y’all talk about?” Jesse questioned.

“This was a well organized attack.” Hanzo remarked. “When we return to our room, I will tell you everything.” He promised.

Jesse nodded. “Whatever you say, honeybee.”

\--

Genji was ready to murder the guard captain himself when he learned that Hanzo and Jesse had nearly been shot because of his poor decision making. He had to remind himself that the guard captain merely fell for the trap laid out by the attackers, and that the man was not foolish enough to fail the Shimada twice. It took a large amount of self-control Genji didn’t know he had to accept that fact.

The men making trouble were useless to talk to. They were low level grunts who had been paid to make a fuss outside the gate. They didn’t have any information worth further interrogation. The bodies weren’t entirely useless. The two from the western wing had fake id, and seemed to have been cannon fodder for the guards. The one that Jesse shot; however, he was useful. The man was a known member of the Claw, the yakuza gang that the Shimada had been working to remove from their empire. They were the last yakuza remaining on Shimada soil, and soon would be destroyed. It seemed like this was their last-ditch effort to remain in power.

Genji had thought their presence in Hanamura had been driven out completely, but there must be some members of the group lingering here. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard rapid Spanish outside of his office at the police station. Just as he was about to get up and see what the situation was about, a girl in bright purple clothes and matching hair burst into his room.

{ **Hello, brother-in-law.}** Sombra greeted. Two officers right on her tail. “Your hair’s not green anymore.” She added.

“The prince is not to be disturbed.” One of the officers said, grabbing Sombra’s shoulder.

[ _She is a Reyes-Morrison_.] Genji stated, and the officer immediately let go of her. [ _She has permission to be here_.]

Both guards bowed to Sombra and apologized for the misunderstanding. She simply waved them off. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She let out a little whistle. “What did you say to them?” She asked.

“I merely told them who you were.” Genji replied. “I sent you a file of what we collected.”

“I know, and you didn’t need to. I’m already in your system.” Sombra remarked. “Nice tech.” She added, looking around the room. “For a minute I was afraid I’d be dealing with archaic systems, but this will work fine.”

Genji quirked a brow at her. “The Shimada Empire has made the greatest advancements in technology. Why would you assume we would be outdated?”

“Well, you were pretty easy to hack, and just because your country sells the best, doesn’t mean you give your cops the best.” Sombra remarked. “Then again, this is the capital. I’m sure they aren’t all this snazzy.”

Genji rolled his eyes. He wasn’t expecting the mohawk. Definitely the rebellious one then. Genji could respect that. “I’m having squadrons of officers comb the streets for any trace of the Claw’s activity.”

Sombra was busy settling into the main computers. “That might get you some info, but I think sending them to their warehouses would be more useful.” Sombra remarked.

“We don’t know where they are hiding out.” Genji replied.

“You don’t yet, give me an hour and I’ll have a list.” Sombra stated.

Her confidence was clearly backed through skill. Genji went back to his desk to deal with paperwork. He fucking hated paperwork. He’d rather be out in the field, hunting down the Claw on his own, but he knew this would be faster and more efficient. Gods, he hated it. He managed to make a dent in the files when he heard Sombra swearing colorfully. He looked up to see her fingers tapping on two purple holo-screens.

{ **Motherfuckers think they can out-hack me? Cute.}** Sombra mumbled as she easily trapped the hacker in their own firewall, locking them out of their own system. “Now that that’s dealt with, let’s see what _the Claws_ are up too.” She said, opening multiple purple holo-screens. “Hah, they either had a great birthday, or a new terrorist sugar daddy. The Claws have been receiving large weapon shipments, new updated equipment, and whole lot of cash.”  

“That’s not good.” Genji remarked.

“I also read the messages Akande Ogundimu sent them.” Sombra remarked. “I emailed them to you, but basically, the plan is that the Claws help Talon start a war between our empires. After our Empire destroys the Shimada, the Claws would have no one standing in their way, and they’d be getting paid for it. A win-win for the Claw, and Talon would be closer to whatever it is those fucks want.”

“Did you find their warehouses?” Genji asked.

“Of course.” Sombra said, sounding slightly offended that Genji had even asked.

“Are you going to share that information?” Genji questioned.

“On one condition.” Sombra replied, grinning as Genji waited to hear her request. “When you go, I want to go with you.”

“I will let you come with us if you get your father’s permission. I’ve heard what Gabriel Reyes-Morrison is like angry, and I don’t want to experience that first-hand.” Genji remarked.

“Tsk, fine.” Sombra grumbled. “I’ll talk with him later. I’ll send you some of the smaller bases nearest to the castle. You should deal with those first anyway.”

Genji watched the girl disappear out the doors, probably heading back to the palace. His phone went off in his pocket. Sombra had texted him the addresses of the Claws local hideout. Genji smirked. _Finally_ , some action.

Rather than involve the local officers, Genji chose to be accompanied by two of the Shimada’s finest guards, and assassins. He dressed in black armor with his green scarf and had his katana strapped to his back.

Most of the fronts the Claw had been using were worthless. Lower level grunts ran them, but no one of substantial rank had been involved. As Genji stepped into the little drugstore, it was easy to tell the clerk behind the counter and the customers in the shop had nothing to do with the Claw. [ _Leave, now_.] Genji ordered. It didn’t take them long to clear out.

Killing the yakuza members had been annoyingly easy. The shop didn’t have many exits, leaving them trapped. The first man to appear from the back wasn't even armed. As he looked around to see what was happening, he was met with a shuriken to his throat. Once he went down, Genji could hear the others moving, grabbing for their weapons. Genji easily reflected the bullets that rippled through the air, hitting the two gunmen and downing them. He could hear one man yelling for his men to hold their ground, as well as the sound of the back-door opening. Genji grinned. His guards outside would deal with the runaways, and he had the bastard in charge all to himself. 

Genji was disappointed at how easy the fight was. The man in charge of the front held a significant rank in the Claw, but he was clearly more of a money man than one of action. Genji had knocked him unconscious in a matter of seconds after entering the man’s office. Genji went back to slit the throats of the men he’d downed with their own bullets, to ensure they were dead. He then had his guards take the unconscious Claw member back to the palace. His father would want to interrogate the man _personally_.

Genji let the police handle the cleanup while he made his way back to the station. The other local hideouts had been disappointing, holding no true information, and no one skilled enough to stand a chance against him. At least the last one held a member of significance, so it wasn’t all for nothing. Without the fronts, it would also be significantly more difficult for the Claw to attempt another attack.

Genji sat down at his desk, and let his eyes close. What a pain. Without talon’s help the Claw would have never lasted a second. It was insulting that those bastards had nearly kidnapped Hanzo’s fiancé, and almost shot them both this afternoon. Suddenly a piece of paper was in front of his face. Genji looked up to see Sombra, holding the scrap of paper.

“What is this?” Genji questioned, taking the small parchment handed to him.

“Signed permission slip. As long as I stick with you and don’t ‘ _wander off’_ I can go with you to raid the warehouse the Claw is using. Oh, and Papí wants to lead his own team into one of the warehouses.” Sombra replied. “There are two main ones, located on opposite ends of Hanamura. We get the one on the North, Papí takes the one on the South. Without them, the Claws will hold no power, and won’t be a threat.”

Genji nodded. It was only fair that the Reyes-Morrison’s were permitted to eliminate a threat to one of their own. “Alright, tomorrow night we’ll begin.” Genji stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Flower Language Reference](https://www.realsimple.com/weddings/weddings-flowers/wedding-flowers-symbolic-meanings%20)
> 
>  
> 
> Idiom:  
> Sleep like a log : To experience a very deep and restful sleep; to sleep soundly.  
> Pretty as a picture : Very attractive


	5. The Cake is a Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn't think of a good title for this chapter

Jesse woke up to the sound of birds outside his window. He could feel Hanzo’s head buried in the crook of his neck. He didn’t want to move, and risk waking him, so Jesse simply leaned back into his pillow. There were so many things on his mind. The Claw and Talon were behind the recent attacks. Genji had updated Hanzo on their recent breakthrough in the case, and Hanzo explained everything to Jesse. He wasn’t sure if getting rid of the Claw would stop Talon from trying to screw up their wedding, in fact, he knew it wouldn’t, but they should still take out the gang.

On top of potential death threats and kidnappings, Jesse also had to worry about the actual wedding, and all the planning that came with it. He was pretty sure they were going to be tasting cakes today, and choosing a design for the cake. Jesse didn’t know the first thing about designing cakes, so he was hoping Hanzo would take the lead on this one.

Speak of the devil and he will appear, Hanzo began to stir, pushing himself up to peer at Jesse with bleary eyes. “Good Morning, dear.” Hanzo greeted.

“Hey there, sunshine.” Jesse replied, combing his fingers through Hanzo’s hair. “Glad ta see yer still with the livin’.”

Hanzo chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips.

“Ya know what time it is?” Jesse questioned.

“Not currently.” Hanzo mumbled, reaching over to their nightstand for his phone. Hanzo stared at the screen, it was fair too bright for his liking. “It is almost eight thirty in the morning.” He stated. “We have the cake tasting at eleven.” He added.

“That gives us plenty of time to ourselves.” Jesse remarked, stealing another kiss from Hanzo.

“We should be preparing for the day.” Hanzo protested. He combed his fingers through Jesse’s hair. “We can relax once our work is done.”

“But work don’t start fer another few hours.” Jesse argued. Feeling a bit more confident, Jesse flipped their positions, so he was on top of Hanzo. He knew Hanzo could easily push him off if he wanted to, but Hanzo merely quirked a brow at Jesse. “Come on, honeybee.” He pleaded. “Don’t ya want ta have a little fun?”

“Perhaps.” Hanzo conceded, wrapping his arms around Jesse’s neck. Hanzo looked like he was about to kiss him again before stopping himself. “But I believe this would be more enjoyable if we brushed our teeth first.” He added.

“Right, that’d probably be a good idea, huckleberry.” Jesse agreed.

Jesse moved to stand up, and stretched. Their room had a large connected bathroom for their convenience.  “Ya coming?” Jesse questioned, looking back at Hanzo who was still laying down in bed.

“Carry me?” Hanzo requested, outstretching his arms to Jesse.

Jesse chuckled, but scooped the prince up in his arms. “Anythin’ fer you, sugar.” Jesse replied, dutifully carrying Hanzo over to the bathroom sink. He set the prince down, so they could both brush their teeth. Mint would be much nicer than morning breath. Jesse had only known Hanzo for a few days, but so much had happened between them, and he never felt so comfortable around someone before. He could talk to Hanzo like he was an old friend, and he could see this whole marriage thing working out for them.

They spent most of the morning exchanging kisses and light touches as they explored each other’s boundaries. Jesse would have been happy to spend the day like this, but unfortunately that plan was thwarted by a knock at the door. It was some servant letting Hanzo know that the baker had arrived and was awaiting the two of them.

Jesse couldn’t help but pout; he was sure Hanzo tasted better than any cake they were going to be trying. Instead of voicing his complaints, Jesse quickly dressed alongside Hanzo. He knew that this was more important, and he wasn’t going to selfishly steal Hanzo away while they still had responsibilities to uphold.

\--

The dining hall’s tables were stacked with cake trays for them to sample. Hanzo was looking forward to this. His sweet tooth was a well kept secret, so he knew that he needed to contain his excitement. Hanzo forced himself to remain stoic as he should. This was business, and he would treat it as such.

Jesse seemed genuinely neutral to the whole ordeal. At least he remained polite to the baker.

“Your highnesses.” The baker greeted, bowing to the two princes. “I hope my cakes meet your standards.”

“Mr. Sato; you come highly recommended.” Hanzo remarked.

“It is an honor to serve you.” The baker replied.

The tasting itself was quite enjoyable. Hanzo’s favorite was the matcha cake, but he noticed that Jesse seemed to prefer the chocolate hazelnut cake. Hanzo wondered if the two could be paired together as separate tiers of their cake. Despite having made his decision, Hanzo still tried each of the other samples offered to them. He’d need to train much harder to work off all the sugar, but it was well worth it.

Once the type of cake was decided, they moved onto the design of the wedding cake. Price wasn’t an issue of course, so their cake would be as elaborate and grand as needed for a royal wedding. The design was the most important part of the cake, and one of the most crucial elements of the wedding. They would need to select a design that truly encompassed the idea of the unification of their two kingdoms. The cake would be a symbol of the future he and Jesse would share.

There were a number of designs presented to the two princes, but only one truly stood out. The design included sugar flowers made to look like cherry blossoms to decorate the bottom tier of the cake. The next later would have two coiling blue dragons wrapped around that tier. The third tier was decorated with dark red sugar roses and rose petals, and the top layer had the Reyes-Morrisons family crest alongside the Shimada crest. Hanzo noticed that Jesse also seemed to like the design.

“Could you make one of the dragons red?” Hanzo questioned. He knew the baker had designed that layer to match Hanzo’s tattoo, but it seemed better to make one of the dragons represent him, while the other represented Jesse. Red suited the Western prince.

“Of course, your highness.” The baker replied.

“Good.” Hanzo stated. “This will be the design we will be going with.”

The baker bowed to them once more. “As you wish, your highnesses.” He said.

\--

Cakes were nice, but Jesse was happy to be back in the comfort of their room. Jesse wondered why Hanzo pretended he didn’t have a sweet tooth. If he wasn’t so good at picking up on little giveaways, Jesse probably would have believed that Hanzo didn’t care much for them at all. It was the hint of a smile ghosting over his lips after trying a particularly good cake that gave him away. The small crack in his otherwise perfect mask.

“Honeybee, do we got anythin’ else ta do today?” Jesse questioned.

“I do not believe so.” Hanzo replied. “Our wedding planner should handle the rest of the dealings with the baker.” He added. “So, we won’t be needed.”

“Nice.” Jesse remarked. “Never would ‘ve thought eating cake could be so exhausting.” He added.

“Oh, tired already, dear?” Hanzo teased, hugging Jesse from behind and snaking a hand up his shirt.

“Not a chance.” Jesse retorted, not bothering to hide the grin on his face. “Have somethin’ in mind, sugar?”

“A few things, actually.” Hanzo replied. Jesse could feel Hanzo’s breath hot against his neck.

“I’m all ears, darlin’.” Jesse stated.

\--

Genji adjusted his headband. He could feel his dragon moving around under his skin, itching for release. The plan was to strike at nightfall. Gabriel Reyes was already in position at the other Claw warehouse. Genji readied his blade as he and the rest of the Shimada assassins began to move into position. Sombra was a wildcard. Genji wasn’t sure what to expect of her, or her submachine gun. Genji didn’t trust anyone but himself to keep watch over the princess while they infiltrated the building. It didn’t help that she seemed to have more of a habit of wandering off than Genji himself.

“Ready, ninja prince?” Sombra questioned, hacking open the doors and shutting down the Claw’s security system.

Genji nodded. “Yes, let’s repay these men for their treatment of our brothers.” He remarked.

“So many targets, so little time.” Sombra commented.

In theory, it would have been chaos to have the two of them on the same mission. Genji was known for his reckless methods, and Sombra was young and unpredictable. In reality, they worked exceptionally well together. Sombra’s gun was far louder than Genji’s blade. She distracted the Claw membered, and used her translocators got her out of harm’s way. While the claw goons were still confused on Sombra’s disappearance, Genji could easily pick them off with his shuriken. Her hacking also proved to be useful against the Claw who were wearing illegal and experimental armor gifted to them by Talon. Sombra’s hacking rendered them useless.

Genji had feared that Sombra wouldn’t be able to keep up with him since she lacked the training to climb as he did, but once again the girl’s translocators came in handy. Once all of the claw members were dead, they could work on destroying the weapons caches stored here, as well as the crates of illegal drugs. Genji hoped that Gabriel Reyes was having as successful a mission as they were.

“Can’t keep up, Sparrow?” Sombra asked, darting past him and hacking another enemy.

Genji easily cut threw him, and caught up to Sombra. “Try me!”

It felt like the mission had barely begun, and already there was no one left to stand against them. The Claw members fell pathetically easily. The Claw gang was so weak, Genji didn’t know why Talon bothered with them. His father had eliminated any worthy warriors among their ranks years ago. The Claw gang was clinging to the coattails of Talon, hoping to gain back any credibility in the underworld. It was almost sad.

The Claw would never survive after such a crippling blow. Genji didn’t think this mission would leave him feeling so… bored. At least it was one less thing for Hanzo to worry over. He knew his brother would find a dozen other things to worry about, but the Claw wouldn’t be one of them.

“I can trace the weapons back to their source. We might be able to figure out where Talon is getting them. I just need to scan a few of them.” Sombra stated. “Don't mind me.”

Genji decided to inspect a few crates of his own while his men secured the area and prepped the bombs that would level this place to the ground. It would be too dangerous to simply confiscate the weapons and drugs, because Talon could launch an attack against them in an attempt to steal them back. Destroying them was the better option.

While Sombra was inspecting the weapons crate, three of the last Claw members, possibly the only ones left who possessed any skill since they managed to evade them, began firing at them. Genji deflected the bullets, but Sombra was out of translocators. She took cover behind one of the drug crates, and Genji watched as one of the Claw tried to flank her. Genji wasn’t having any of that.

[ _The dragon becomes me!]_ Genji exclaimed as he felt the rush of raw power surround him.

His dragon rode on the edge of his blade, easily cutting down his enemies. When the last of claw had fallen, Genji wiped the blood from his blade. When he turned back to Sombra, the girl was finishing up her scans, as though the enemies had never been there.

“We work well together, Sparrow.” Sombra remarked. “Nice dragon.”

“Perhaps you will get the chance to know her if you stick around.” Genji commented.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere.” Sombra stated. “Talon is still out there. I think it’d be nice to have a friend like you to take them on with.”

“Gladly.” Genji replied. The Claw were disappointing, but he was sure destroying Talon would sate him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom  
> Speak of the devil and he will appear : To talk about someone and then have that person show up

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment, i love hearing what you guys think of this (　◠ ◡ ◠　)


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